The City of Zojoji [Archive] - Civilization Fanatics' Forums

Cyc

Sep 11, 2004, 12:35 PM

Excellent, excellent job of keeping track of the cities in your Province, Governor Zarn. I read SD3's instructions, but hadn't related them to Zojoji's goals. Here's what I found out by looking at the save:

In the 9 turns it will take us to research Lit, we will produce a Barracks, 3 workers, and 3 military units. All of this will have an effect on our research/gpt, as we are way past our limit in units.

But, I can recommend a plan to you that may well keep us on track. If we switch a Laborer from a mined Bonus Grassland to the Wheat immediately, the city will grow in 3 turns, but the Harbor will take 12 turns to complete. The increase in production time (9 to 12) will allow us the switch to a Library comfortably. Because of our quick growth (we will grow on turn #3 and turn #7 with this plan), we will have 2 new laborers in Zojoji this T/C. Both of these Laborers can be made into Scientists, which will aid us in countering the taxation on our gpt (Barracks, Workers, and Units produced). Overall, this plan will get us the Library in approximately the same amount of time, help the National Science output, increase the growth of our great city, and not waste any shields. Oh, and as soon as we switch to a Library, our labor force should be switched back to production. I've posted a Screen shot below ~
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojojiCS3.jpg

Cyc

Sep 14, 2004, 03:48 PM

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/Zojohurri2.jpg
Off the coast of Zojoji, a fierce storm rages. But our sacred city is safe.

invy

Sep 18, 2004, 05:05 PM

Cyc

Sep 18, 2004, 05:26 PM

Honorable minister of Zojoji, i want to point out that Zojoji is doing well in a poll as a wonder city and it is possible it will be decided to build a palace as a prebuild.
While this is a good thing it also has some very negative sides:

Zojoji is growing slowly and doesnt have access to fresh water. I strongly suggest to build Aquaduct and then Granary. Zojoji really needs to irrigate grassland tiles soon and therefore governor should request to bring farms (and water) to Zojoji to increase its food output. Then the hills around Zojoji should be mined to increase shield output.

Therefore, i suggest governor to reject building prebuilds in Zojoji until these conditions are fulfilled. At current state Zojoji will lose too many time to build a wonder.
I understand your concerns, invy. But I would like to say a few things in reference to Zojoji's building capabilities and growth potential. The reason our city appears to be growing slowly is because we were stuck on a cycle of Worker and Settler production. Now that this has been corrected, we are growing once again. You are correct about getting some irrigation brought in through thr hills. Once we have grown to size 7 or 8, the forest between Zojoji ans Shorin Ryu needs to be chopped down and irrigation brought in from there, where it can be spread to our other grasslands. That should be the only forest cut for a long while though, as we need those forests for shields.

Zojoji will be switched to an Aqueduct this pre-turn and will be finished in 10 turns. After that, there will not be a need for a Granary just yet. After the Aqueduct, we should start the Palace pre-build for one of the future Wonders (hopefully the Sistine Chapel).

I have been trying to get the Iron in Zojoji mined for about a thousand years, but clearing Jungle (in the Ancient Age :hmm: ) seems to be the priority now. :crazyeye: After the Iron is mined, we can go ahead and mine the other hills to further increase the production capabilities of our humble city. So we agree on the Aqueduct, the irrigation, and the mining of the hills. But I will push to have the pre-build started immediately after the Aqueduct. Thanks for the input.

Mayor Cyc

CivGeneral

Sep 18, 2004, 06:30 PM

I would like to move into this city :)

invy

Sep 19, 2004, 06:16 AM

That seems fine Cyc. Just make sure to irrigate lands in time.

Cyc

Sep 19, 2004, 01:25 PM

I would like to move into this city :)

Welcome CG. I thought you named our neighboring city Shorin Ryu, so I guessed you would have moved there. But you're more than welcome here in our humble city. I shall add your name to our residents list :thumbsup:

CivGeneral

Sep 20, 2004, 01:01 AM

Thanks Cyc,

I am hoping to open up a commuter railline between Zojoji and Shorin-Ryu once we discover the Iron Horse (Railroad ;) )

Sir Donald III

Sep 20, 2004, 04:32 PM

May it Please... The Mayor!

The build queue for Zojoji is currently Collesium. This would provide 2 new Content faces in 14 turns.

By maintaining our current research, we will get Feudalism in 12. This would make this city a prime location as a home for a Military Researcher named Sun Tzu, given there would already be 12 turns of production there.

But, if this is not your intent, I would like to make this recommendation:

Have the building changed to a Marketplace.

This building will finish in 12 and will produce 1 Extra Happy since we have 3 Luxuries, which should net the same result as the Collesium.

In addition, it would increase your city's contributions to our Treasury by 50%, allowing for more buildings, as well as funding military upgrades.

Cyc

Sep 21, 2004, 02:04 AM

Sir Donald III, as you can see from the picture below of Zojoji's City Screen, I will be suggesting to the Governor that we relocate the Laborer from the mined "non-bonus" Grassland 1 tile SW of the city to the forest tile NE,E of the city. This will drop the production time from 14, as you state, to 12. With the mining of the Iron, this figure may drop to 11, I'm not sure.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojojiCS110ad.jpg

Personally, I would much rather see a Colosseum in our humble city than a Marketplace. While the Marketplace would make a slight increase in our total national budget, a Colosseum would make a tremendous improvement in our nation's Cultural Scene, especially after it doubles in value. As you say, the happiness would be reasonably equal, so that pretty much cancels out, unless we were to go to war and one of our Luxuries were to be cut from the system. That kind of loss would cause a production decrease. A Colosseum would not be affected by this. ;)

I was in favor of starting a Wonder immediately, but with the recent developments in the game, and the fact that Governor Zarn seems adamant about NOT building a Wonder, the Colosseum works for me. This new arena will also keep our citizens content while a Wonder is being built. Hopefully, as you can see by the picture above, the other hills surrounding Zojoji will also get mined after the Iron Hill. I'm not sure why the "non-bonus Grassland was mined and roaded, as that was totally unneccesary. That Grassland and the Wheat should have been irrigated, by way of the valley between Shorin Ryu and us. Perhaps the President is bringing the irrigation in from the North.

Zarn

Sep 21, 2004, 11:16 AM

Queue: I'm going to stay with the Collosseum, then go for a Market, afterwards. As for pre-builds, if a poll is set up for them, I will link the poll to my instuction post (like last chat), so that any city (within Zarnia) affected would override my queues.

Irrigation: I will make a request in your name to get your tiles irrigated and hills mined.

Forest tile: I'll see what I can do.

invy

Sep 21, 2004, 01:59 PM

I would request that tile stay for Shorin-Ryu at least for some time. Zojoji currently have 2 unused forest and can use other forest (while losing only +1 commerce). From the other side, Shorin-Ryu will lose a shield. I think shield > commerce.
There is more reasons. Zojoji has 6 workers mining iron, those 6 workers can mine all hills in just a few turns (hill 1-3-1, forest 1-2-1). While Shorin-Ryu hills are not mined yet (in process) and there are only 3 workers compared to Zojoji's 6.
Therefore i beleive its in Japanatica's interest that Shorin-Ryu use that tile.
But,in long term, I think we should start initiative to legaly decide who has the right to work that tile; or to make some kind of agreement between governors.

Cyc

Sep 23, 2004, 05:23 PM

The tradition of building swords for the Japanatica Army was deeply embedded in Zojoji’s history. The nearby Iron mines had supplied the materials necessary to forge the swords that made us a strong nation. Many forges were employed in the making of these swords, but the swordsmith acknowledged by tradition that is responsible for the first true Japanatica sword blade is Amakuni. Many of his swords were forged in the furnaces of Zojoji and carried by the military in the protection of our nation. They were also carried into battle at Pompeii.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/katana.jpg

The battle at Pompeii had not gone well. Amakuni stood and watched as soldiers marched back from battle there. The emperor and his warriors passed by Amakuni’s forge as they returned from battle, and instead of greeting Amakuni as he usually did, the emperor totally ignored Amakuni and all the swordsmiths. As the warriors straggled back Amakuni noticed that many of them were carrying broken swords; the weapons he had forged had snapped in the heat of battle. He closely examined the weapons and swore an oath to make a sword that would not break and so regain the emperors’ favor.

Amakuni and his son locked themselves in their forge and prayed to the Shinto gods for seven days and nights. Then they set to work, refining the metal of the blade and applying all their knowledge to make the perfect sword. After a month of work they emerged with a sword that curved slightly and had only one edge. Pleased with their first effort they refined the process, and when the warriors returned from their battles the following year, none were broken.

The methods followed by the legendary Amakuni were improved, but the basic technique of forging the blade remained the same. Small pieces of steel formed in a blast furnace were selected and stacked on an iron plate. This was heated in a furnace then welded into a solid block on an anvil by pounding the metal with heavy hammers. The block was then folded and beaten out again repeatedly until thousands of laminations were produced and much of the carbon in the original pieces of metal was removed. The final blade was made by wrapping the prepared block around a strip of high carbon steel, which would produce the edge of the sword in the finished weapon. In the final forging the blade was covered with a paste made of clay, charcoal, powdered grinding stone and other material, which is removed from the edge to leave a pattern typical of the smith’s tradition. The sword is heated “until it turns to the color of the moon about to set out on its journey across the heavens on a June or July evening,” according to the words of one swordsmith, and cooled by being plunged edge down into a trough of water kept at a specified temperature. The unprotected edge of the blade cooled quickly while the clay covering allowed the rest of the blade to cool more slowly and so retain its flexibility.

The smith would then sign his name on the tang and pass the blade onto specialist craftsmen who would polish the blade and fit the hilt, guard (tsuba) and other items of sword furniture. The finished blade was sometimes given to a professional sword tester who used the living bodies of condemned criminals or their corpses taken from the execution grounds to test the cutting power of a new sword. Twenty different cuts were used, beginning with severing the hand by cutting through the bones of the wrist and progressing through the thicker limbs of the body. The most difficult cut was known as ryo-kuruma (pair of wheels) which involved slicing through the hips and the thickest part of the spine. The results of the test were usually recorded on the nakago or sword tang, and it is not uncommon to find inscriptions on old swords giving details of the tests such as “two men cut” or “eight arms severed.” Some swords were so well made that in the hands of an expert swordsman they were capable of slicing through tremendous resistance. Some seventeenth century blades bear the inscription “mitsudo setsudan” (three bodies with one cut), and in the martial art of iai-jutsu (the art of drawing the sword) one of the techniques taught is capable of cutting a body in two by slicing through the torso from the right hip to the left shoulder. The terrible cutting power of the Japanese sword does not simply depend on the quality of the blade; it must be wielded by someone who knows how to cut, a skill developed by cutting through bundles made from wet straw or other materials.

The long sword in Japan has seen three major incarnations, and for each type of sword exists a fighting style to match the blade's shape. The early blades, called chokuto or “straight swords,” tended to get longer as metallurgy techniques improved. Though not much is known about how these weapons were wielded, the extra length - without any significant increase in weight - certainly gave the fighter more reach. The handle size of these blades suggests that they were held in one hand. The two-edged blade suggests a thrusting and hacking style of fighting.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/double_edged_katana.jpg

The first major change in the shape of the sword came during Amakuni’s time, a style perhaps created by Amakuni himself. Warriors found that, compared to a straight blade, a curved sword can be drawn from the saya more quickly and can provide a more effective cutting angle. Consequently, swordsmiths developed forging techniques to make a curved blade at least as strong as the earlier straight ones. These swords, called tachi, were extremely long, some nearly four feet, and were generally used by soldiers on horseback. The long, curved blade was ideal for a sweeping draw and slash against opponents on the ground or mounted upon other horses.

And so the Age of the Tachi was born. Soon the young men, eager to go into battle were practicing and becoming quite skillfull. Meanwhile, Amakuni continued to improve his sword technology.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/kendo4a.gif

Special thanks to www.wdob.net for the history in the story.

invy

Sep 23, 2004, 05:33 PM

Mayor Cyc,
I would like to direct you to Presidential thread to post about worker allocations for next turnchat. This plan with irrigation of Zojoji/mining of Shorin-Ryu is already taking too long. We should alert President to make it priority and to follow the plan precisely.

There is another possibility to get extra workers. I would like to ask you to request in Millitary office that our Swordsman attack Babs Warrior/Settler pair near Fanatikku (1st) and than pair near Zojoji (2nd). That should get us 4 extra Workers and speed up the plan. It would be good idea to post instructions for those potential workers (you could suggest this to governor Zarn).

Cyc

Sep 24, 2004, 02:15 AM

Thank you, Governor invy. I believe attacking those Settler groups are already in the works. I believe Deputy-Governor RegentMan will be posting the Instructions for Zarnia this T/C, so I'll make the suggestion to him. We don't want Zojoji to grow so quickly that it becomes unhappy and riots before we can produce a Battalion of Swordsmen for the war. We'll also need our Hills mined to take advantage of the growth. Hopefully, we can get this worked out. :thumbsup:

Cyc

Sep 29, 2004, 04:58 PM

People of Zojoji, our humble city has once again created a recreational park for your enjoyment. This is a place of serenity and calm. A place to forget about the worries life can force on us. This is the Tokugawa Gardens. Please come and enjoy yourself in the relaxing atmosphere. Become one with nature.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/hasegawagarden.jpg

Furiey

Sep 29, 2004, 05:55 PM

Furiey wanders into the newly established garden and drinks in the atmosphere of peace and tranquility. She sighs as she relaxes and takes a deep breath of the slight sea breaze mixed with the scent of flowers. At least that's what she imagined it smelt of - flu - argh - hate it - can't smell a thing! Nice gardens though!

Cyc

Sep 29, 2004, 07:04 PM

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/tea_time.jpg

Mayor Cyc appears next to the honorable Furiey. He has brought two assistants with him, one of which offers Furiey a steaming hot mug of tea. Furiey accepts the tea and lets the rising heat from the mug penetrate the congestion in her head. Breathing much more freely, she smiles and thanks the Mayor.

"I added some of my best whiskey in that for you, enjoy," replied Cyc. And with that, he bowed deeply, turned towards the water and ran out onto the rocks, leaping from one to the next. Halfway across, he changed direction and skimmed across the water's surface to the far shore. There he stopped and waved at Furiey before hurrying off to his Office.

Furiey

Sep 29, 2004, 07:25 PM

Furiey watches Mayor Cyc leave, does a double take in the best manner of Monty Python, then looks suspiciously at her tea. "Wow - some Whiskey!" she says to herself before waving back.

Cyc

Sep 30, 2004, 06:37 PM

Mayor Cyc waves good-bye to Governor Zarn and then turns to wave hello to Governor Rik Meleet. "Welcome Governor, as always."

blackheart

Sep 30, 2004, 06:56 PM

A courier via galley arrives with a message from the new mayor of Sto'vo'kor and Deputy Governor BlackHeart

The message reads:

Hello there Mayor Cyc! I offer you a warm welcome and hearty congratulations for guiding Zojoji to becoming a wonderful city. I would like to offer an arm of friendship and make our two cities brothers or sisters, whichever you prefer.

Cyc

Sep 30, 2004, 07:10 PM

Mayor Cyc welcomes the courrier in to his Office. He accepts the message and has assistants take care of him whilst he reads the message. Smiling, Mayor Cyc takes pen and writes a reply:

Honorable Mayor and Deputy-Governor Blackheart. It is with great pleasure that I receive your message. I believe the term is "Sister Cities" and I would be honored to have such a relationship with your city to the North. Thank you.

Mayor Cyc

Chieftess

Sep 30, 2004, 07:11 PM

Just so you know, your city has reached 15spt, and the farming industry has begun in the wheat fields (irragation).

Cyc

Sep 30, 2004, 07:17 PM

Mayor Cyc bows to the President, "Thank you, sensei. The people of Zojoji rejoice! We will hold a festival soon."

Cyc

Oct 05, 2004, 06:01 PM

People of Zojoji, below is posted the City Screen with proposed information that I have submitted to our Governor Rik Meleet. I'm glad to see so many of you happy and content. The new Colosseum must be working well. We are now growing beyond the size we were briefly restricted to. Our Aqueduct will now allow us to grow to size 12! And we now have the ability to build Samurai. This will mean a fast approaching Golden Age. I hope to see you all in the Colosseum for the celebration at that time. :goodjob: Our soon to be completed Marketplace will allow us to enjoy the many Luxuries available to our great nation at greater accessability and lower costs. We shall soon be a thriving city, Zojoji. Hail Tokugawa!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojoji460ad.jpg

Cyc

Oct 06, 2004, 12:25 AM

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojoji460adBE.jpg

And for our more artistic citizens...a bird's eye view of the city, painted by a local artisian.

CivGeneral

Oct 06, 2004, 01:15 PM

Well, I hope we do get to the modern age soon since my avatar feels kind of out of place in the middle ages ;).

JackA

Oct 06, 2004, 02:48 PM

JackA walks into Mayor Cyc's office "Hi Cyc! I am a Mayor now of Corrino"

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Oct 06, 2004, 02:57 PM

It is indeed lovely to have this great colloseum finally built in the fair city of Zojoji.
My interns finally have a place to perform!
The Ministry of Trade does request, though, that the marketplace be finished post haste. This great city needs it, as does the MoT.

SaaM
HMoT

Cyc

Oct 07, 2004, 12:08 AM

Ah, so good to see the bright and cheerful citizens out and about. I am honored to see you all.

CivGeneral, please remind your Avatar that they had beautiful women in the Middle Ages also. ;) They were just hidden away a little better.

Congrats on your Mayorship, JackA. I'm sure you'll do a fine job. As you're now Mayor of Corrino, have another summer home and a winter home, I'll remove your name from our Resident's List. Good luck!

And Sansaam, I'm glad the interns are performing in the Colosseum. The construction on the Zojoji Theatre is almost complete, but I've been rather busy with legal matters and when the cats away, the mice will play (something like that!). I'll get a picture up for you when it's complete. Last I heard, the engineers were designing and building it so that the audience wouldn't be distracted by the beauty of the Theatre, and would concentrate more on the Actors. And fear not, Dear Minister, the Marketplace shall be finished very soon.

Cyc

Oct 25, 2004, 03:19 PM

People of Zojoji, I have returned from vacation. It was good to get away, but it's great to be back!

I see we have become ship builders for Japanatica. This is good in a way, but I will soon be asking our Governor to switch our current production shields outlay from another Caravel to a Cathedral. I know most of us have been waiting for a Cathedral for some time now. Cities which are smaller than ours now have them as well as the Cultural buildings that now grace our humble city. Below is the current City Screen for Zojoji, showing that if we switch now, a Cathedral can be built in 3 turns. This will not only put us on par with those other cities, in terms of Cultural buildings, increasing our Cultural standing in our nation and the world, but ensure against rioting in the event the Iroquios, Babylonians, or Zulu decide to strike and pillage a Luxury.

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojo980ad.jpg

Black_Hole

Oct 25, 2004, 03:27 PM

welcome back mayor :goodjob:

Sir Donald III

Oct 25, 2004, 04:27 PM

Yeah... with China taking up all of Germany, we probably have enough Transports for now...

Though I'd like to know what the Mayor thinks about "diverting" harbor production to some "specailsed tasks" once we get magnetism. (Read: Privateers)

Cyc

Oct 25, 2004, 04:54 PM

Thank you for the welcome, Minister Black_Hole. It's good to see you too.

Minister Sir Donald III, I stand with you in your observation that we have enough transports for now, or any Military ships at this point for our supposedly peaceful nation. :rolleyes: Once we've completed the Cathedral, a return to ship building would be logical for the nation's greatest Harbor, but alas, I have never seen much profitability in producing pirates (read: military intelligence sub-contractors) known as Privateers. They usually sink or become outdated quickly, regardless of when you build them. Therefore, I would not recommend them to our shipbuilders, and suggest waiting for future government models to be designed.

There is also the notion of Wall Street being built in our humble city. There's a thought worth consideration. We also need a Bank in Zojoji. So, I really can't see spending too much of Zojoji's precious shields on Military units, when there are bigger fish to fry. Soon there will be new Wonders to consider, as well as the large scale center we're planning for our healers and barbers to care for our sick. ;) The future is wide open and Japanatica has chosen to be peaceful.

At this point, I am more worried about a nation that plans to put it's second Capital 6 and a half tiles away from it's first, than I am about building slueth ships to sink those of other nations, without carrying our flag...

Sir Donald III

Oct 25, 2004, 05:04 PM

Just to clarify, it was I that requested more ships last TC, for a possible plan to colonize the destroyed nation of Germany. But China capitalzed too quickly...

Rik Meleet

Oct 27, 2004, 03:43 AM

Mayor Cyc,

you have requested a new look at Zojoji's buildqueues in your post in the Rik Meleetia Zarnia thread.
I've answered this (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showpost.php?p=2288647&postcount=47).

Cyc

Oct 27, 2004, 04:11 AM

But OTOH, who could refuse this: http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/dogezas.gif ???
Great! This means you'll be switching the Caravel to a Cathedral? The people of Zojoji will throw a festival in your honor, good Governor! Thank you, Thank you.

Rik Meleet

Oct 27, 2004, 01:04 PM

I've posted these instructions:

Buildqueues
Fanatikku: Bank (8) - Cathedral - Samurai / Cav (if we know MT).
Zojoji: Cathedral (3) - Bank - WallStreet (-prebuild).
Furuyama: - Aquaduct (9) - Caravel
Immo: Cathedral (4) - Bank - Musket

Please MM Zojoji to this:
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojo980ad.jpg

Cyc

Oct 30, 2004, 03:15 PM

The final weekend of Term 3 had come and the grand procession for the Rik Meleet Festival (RMF) had started. Governor Rik Meleet arrived with Lady Penelope and the parade through the main streets of Zojoji signaled the commencement of the RMF.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf1.jpg

The parade ended at the Main Harbor. Many ships had taken on fanatastic dressings, some as fish or animals, some as colorful decorations. Music filled the air and the smell of food was everywhere.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf5.jpg

The citizens of Zojoji had even constructed huge air filled balloons that floated on the harbor's clean waters. Guided by the young of the city, the balloon floats glided along the water's edge in their own little parade.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf.jpg

All the normal festivities went on into the afternoon. Speeches were made, babies were kissed, and all in all fun was had as everyone looked forward to the evening events.

Cyc

Oct 30, 2004, 08:38 PM

This day also saw Japanatica's first advertisement billboard go up. It was so large, many people were needed to hoist it up into position. It was a grand and colorful painting advertising the opening play for the Zojoji Kabuki-Za Theatre opening the following day.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/ztad.jpg

Zojojian citizens flocked to the Festival grounds and literally covered the small surrounding hills. They watched in fascination as the many volunteers raised the two Festival Towers with ropes and poles. The towers could be seen for miles and would serve as markers to new comers.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf4.jpg

The festivities continued on into the evening featuring many musical and dance presentations, magicians, dragon floats, and foods. Then, the signal was given to launch the fireworks show by the lighting of a single but very bright candle.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf2.jpg

More entertainment carried on through the night with more fireworks and dancing. The Festival had gone on all day and was a success. It would continue the following day with more festivities and an award ceremony and finally come to a conclusion with the grand opening of the new Theatre.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/rsf3.jpg

Cyc

Oct 31, 2004, 03:08 PM

The Sunday morning effort by the locals showed an Arts and Crafts Exhibition. Many of the areas artisians and craftsmen displayed their wares and projects. Mimes and clowns circulated among the people and magicians grabbed the stage when it became open. The sun was high in the sky when Mayor Cyc took the stage to make an announcement.

"Citizens of Zojoji, what a wonderful day this is, huh?" Aroar came up from the crowd." I don't want to take up much of your time, but we have a special guest that I would like to introduce to you. Ladies and Gentlemen, Governor Rik Meleet!" Thunderous applause arose from the grand Festival grounds. The Governor stood and bowed to the crowd. He waved to everyone until the applause started to die down, but chose not to speak at this time. "There he is people, the man responsible for the new Cathedral in our city, as well as many other improvements we have, Including our new Wonder of the Worlrd, Copernicus' Observatory. In honor of his efforts to improve our city, we at city hall would like to present him with an award." Turning toward the Leader, he added,"Governor Rik Meleet, because you have allowed us to grow Culturally and independantly, we want to present you with a gift showing not only the deep roots of our Culture, but some of the technological advances we now work with pride, here in Zojoji. This functional work of art" Mayor Cyc removes the white shroud from the stand,"is called the Kabuto Mask. It's lacquered steel construction will protect againgst most froms of agression. We hope this will bring you good luck. The headgear is normally worn by our high-level archers, which represents to us your true aim in not only Zarnia's success in the world, but also to Zojoji's greatness. We thank you." More applaused from the crowd.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/kabutomask.jpg

We would also like to present you with the Zojoji pin to distinguish and honor your service to our people. Again, thank you..
http://civfanatics.net/uploads8/mask.jpg

"We will now close this presentation and join you all at the grand opening of the Zojoji Kabuk-Za Theatre. The word is already out about our opening show, so it's alright if I tell you now,... Our first play will be Chushin-gura, one that is sure to be an instant classic. Please join us there!"

Rik Meleet

Oct 31, 2004, 03:20 PM

Wow. Thanks.

Cyc

Oct 31, 2004, 05:00 PM

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zKabuki-za.jpg

As the Mayor and the Governor stood on the top step of the Zojoji Kabuki-Za Theatre, Cyc replied to Rik Meleet, "No, sir. Thank you! With this special announcement, you will see why Zojoji owes you and Governor Zarn many, many thanks." The Mayor turns to the people filling the street below them. "People of Zojoji! I have just been informed that because of our Cultural awareness and development, Zojoji has now become eligible for.... A CAMELOT AWARD!!! Another thunderous applause erupted from the crowd. Cyc shook the Governor's hand and then raised it in a champion's salute.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/Camelotstatus.jpg

"I'm going to take the Governor on a quick personal tour of the Theatre and then we'll be right back. In the mean time, please take one of the brocheures being handed out and learn about our opening play," Cyc addressed the crowd. Then the two went inside the huge building and Cyc showed the Governor around. First they saw one of the smaller stages, which had actors rehearsing their lines.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/stagesmall1.jpg

Then it was onto the Large stage to see the stars, Stuck_As_a_Mac and the 14 Interns warming up for one of tonight's numbers.
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/stagelarge1.jpg

In a rare shot, they were even able to see Stuck, who gave them a quick bow, http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/musashi.jpg and one of the Interns in full costume. http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/ninjaintern.jpg

The Governor then asked Cyc about the play being performed tonight, "So tell me what this play is about, Mayor."

Cyc handed Rik Meleet one of the 3-fold programmes being handed out to the people. "This should explain most of it, Governor. It's based on a factual story. It concerns the traditions of the Samurai and some of the Legendary heroes of our nation. We believe it will be a milestone in performing arts."
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/chushin1.jpg
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/chushin2.jpg
http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/chushin3.jpg

Provolution

Oct 31, 2004, 06:23 PM

Honorable General Cyc, Mayor of Zojoji

I would be honored if Zojoji could build the first frigate of the realm, we only need 2 frigates in total for the Western Navy. We may call it HMS Cyclone.
I would also like to ask for one Galleon to be built for half of the Imperial Commando unit lead by Grand Admiral Ali (8 elite samurai, needs 2 Galleons in total).

do you endorse this visionary and targeted naval program?

yours sincerely
P

Cyc

Oct 31, 2004, 08:49 PM

MSAV Chief of Staff Provolution, it would be an honor for our humble city to produce these ships for our Naval operations. I will recommend a Frigate and a Galleon to Governor Blackheart immediately. The HMS Cyclone shall soon sail out of Zojoji Harbor to protect our fleet.

Cyc

Oct 31, 2004, 09:55 PM

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People of Zojoji! Above is a bird's eye view of our wonderous city, painted by Leonardo from memory of the sights he had as he flew over in one of his flying contraptions. Is this a beautiful city or what?

In reviewing the stats for the city, I came across some interesting numbers. Such as, We are second in Culture for the nation just behind Fanatikuu, whom we may soon catch. This status has put Zojoji as the number 5 city in the World! As mentioned above, we will now be able to recieve the honorable Camelot Award!

We are also in second place for Shield Production, tied for second place in happy and content citizens, tied for 5th place in Science, and 7th place in Commerce. Keep in mind that by relocating our Laborer (I've made the request to Governor Blackheart) we could move up to the number 4 spot in Science or increase our Shield Production by one. This is great news for our city and I hope to see it continue.

The Rik Meleet Festival was a success and the Chushin-gura play at the new Zojoji Kabuki-Za Theatre sold out twice! I am so happy for the citizens of our once humble little city, waiting patiently to become a leading Metropolis. Thank you all for living here. :goodjob:

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Nov 03, 2004, 06:30 PM

As Mayor Cyc leaves UoZ, MoT SaaM emerges from his chateau in makeup. Something is odd, though. SaaM is dressed as a Woman.
"What? Did you really think Macbeth is about Macbeth? Its all about his wife!"
The interns emerge from the chateau, dressed in various costumes of different periods. Some wear modern clothes, others wear futuristic jump suits (Authors Note: We're in the IA, so we're allowed to do futurism) and some wear clothes of days gone by. Sir Macbeth is dressed in a Samuraii outfit while SaaM is decked up in a ball room gown. SaaM takes center stage.
"And now, my fellow citizens, I am pleased to present: William Shakespeare's "Macbeth"
The play begins. People are frightened by the witches, they 'ooh' and 'ahh' at the not-needed battle scene which is nowhere in the First Folio, but added here just for fun. Everything builds up to Act I scene v, where SaaM emerges as Lady Macbeth. Without hesitation, he launches into his monolouge:
"The raven himself is hoarse
That croaks the fatal entrance of Duncan
Under my battlements. Come, you spirits
That tend on mortal thoughts, unsex me here,
And fill me from the crown to the toe top-full
Of direst cruelty. Make thick my blood,
Stop up th’access and passage to remorse,
That no compunctious visitings of nature
Shake my fell purpose, nor keep peace between
Th’ effect and it. Come to my woman’s breasts,
And take my milk for gall, you murd’ring ministers,
Wherever in your sightless substances
You wait on nature’s mischief. Come, thick night,
And pall thee in the dunnest smoke of hell,
That my keen knife see not the wound it makes,
Nor heaven peep through the blanket of the dark,
To cry ‘Hold, hold!’ "

The crowd cheers! The play still has 4 more Acts, but it's looking good.

Note: I had wanted to do that very monolouge for a Shakespeare competition, but the coach wouldnt let me do it. Something about me not being female or what not...

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Nov 03, 2004, 08:00 PM

Oh hells no...

Black_Hole

Nov 03, 2004, 08:58 PM

Oh hells no...
I knew I would get your support ;)

Black-Hole: Warned!! Keep these kind of things out of the demogame. !!! - Rik

Cyc

Nov 12, 2004, 11:23 PM

Mayor Cyc adjusted the picture frame once more, wanting it to be set just right on his fireplace mantle. The photographer had just delivered the picture taken of the Great Wonder Copernicus's Observatory, and Cyc wasted no time getting it into the picture frame. This new Photography Technology was quite the rage these days. The Mayor had paid a good price to have the image of the Observatory captured in the moonlight, the evening he and Furiey had had met for wine and cheese, a private tour, and gazing at the Milky Way.

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The photographer had done an excellent job, but because of the poor lighting, Cyc couldn't see Furiey's or his own likeness in the picture. Because the technology was still being developed, this photograph's detail was such that it almost looked as if it was a charcoal drawing, rather than the product of the negative-positive process of Photography. But that was a memorable night. Good company and good conversation, not to mention good wine. It had been amazing to peer into the billions and billions of stars of the Galaxy and then to ponder the thought that we may be rotating somewhere near the center of our Universe.

Hearing a couple of quick, confident knocks at the front door, Cyc went to answer it wondering who it might be. Upon opening the door, he got a pleasant suprise. It was his good friend Furiey. "So good to see you, Furiey. I was just thinking about you. Please come in."

Furiey

Nov 13, 2004, 09:24 AM

Furiey approached the front door of Mayor Cyc’s residence in Zojoji. She was returning from her expedition to Zulu lands, not an “official” visit, merely a holiday to experience the differences between the Zulu lands and our own great country. She wondered if the photograph that had been taken during her last visit with Mayor Cyc was ready yet. After that evening her journey to the lands of the Zulu seemed to “fly”, she had hardly noticed the travelling. She thought of the baggage train she had accumulated, she usually travelled light, but this time… It must have been all the painting equipment she had taken to record her journey (plus more purchased en route), all of it now converted to canvasses, although some still needed treating before they could be viewed.

Furiey knocked on the door. To her surprise Cyc opened the door himself, she had arrived unannounced, and was a little concerned about how she would be received, but Cyc’s warm greeting allayed her fears and took her back to their evening before she left; the wine, the stars, the company, the photograph… again she wondered how it turned out.

Thinking yet again about how much easier photography would be then painting, after all you wouldn’t have to be an accomplished artist to create a picture any more (and she certainly wasn’t!) she dragged a few of her travelling cases into the hallway. What was in these ones she didn’t know, as usual she had been too eager to do things rather than label them all up properly, the individual pictures were identified, but what had been put into which case she had no idea! She was sure there was something in these cases that would interest Mayor Cyc, but exactly what would be a surprise for them both.

Cyc ushered her into a sitting room, and there, in pride of place on the mantle was the photograph. She looked at it closely, somewhat relieved that her image was not visible after all, but it captured the moment well. She smiled at Cyc in appreciation of the picture and in memory of the evening, sat down and started rummaging through her cases.

The pictures were wrapped in large quantities of tissue paper, in fact at first that’s all the cases seemed to contain. Cyc looked on, somewhat bemused as his room started to fill up with paper without any sign of any pictures. In fact what she found first was not a picture, but a bottle of wine, from the Stellenbosch vineyards, perhaps they could drink it while they examined her pictures. She rummaged further and the first picture appeared.

Furiey was not sure how the picture would be received. It was not in the usual fine Japanatican style, which was way beyond her ability, but a cruder style (“daubings” in comparison), that she found allowed her to more quickly capture what she saw (she called it “Photoshop Filter”). She explained it was a picture of a welcome dance at a place she stayed near a great waterfall. Although the Zulu were not as advanced as Japanatica, they had moved beyond ancient warriors and the costumes in the picture were used for ceremonial purpose only. She held up the picture for Cyc to see.

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Cyc

Nov 14, 2004, 12:58 AM

Cyc crossed the room, now with a corkscrew in his hand. Kneeling next to the table Furiey had placed the wine on, he examined the painting, playing the art critic in jest. "Nice color and texture. Resembles a van Gogh!" Cyc glances at his guest. "I'm glad to see you have painted pants on them," he said using an exaggerated French accent. A smile was shared and the Mayor proceeded to open the bottle of wine. Losing the accent he continued, "Seriously, this is a fine painting. Are you using a brush or a knife while you stand in the wildes of Zululand capturing the moment?"

"Both actually, depends on what kind of mood I'm in. Sometimes both on the same painting. I didn't realize you knew so much about oils, Cyc. And who is this van Gogh?" Furiey questioned.

"A grumpy old gentleman I happened to meet in Paris during my last visit. He's quite the good artist and uses this quick approach to painting", Cyc said as he handed his guest a glass of wine, "But enough about him, I want to hear about you. A toast to our friendship. May it grow like the orchids in Zululand." Thier glasses met and a drink was had. "Now, what else have you in those cases?"

Furiey

Nov 14, 2004, 05:45 AM

Furiey had another rummage and pulled out 3 further paintings. She was glad the first had been well received; they were not in the traditional style at all. Ah – 3 that belonged together she thought as she held up the first. She had spent more time doing this one, trying to capture the waves crashing against the rocks and running up the small sandy beach. This is a view of “Cape of Good Hope” she explained. “I painted it from Cape Point where there were loads of seabirds nesting”

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She balanced the next picture against the table while mayor Cyc looked at the first, “This is one of the inhabitants of Cape Point – a Baboon. I was told that they eat shellfish from the beach, washing them in the sea to clean them first. Unfortunately they also eat other things – anything else they can get their hands on. They would lie in wait for visitors and grab things from their carriages, steal bags from out of your arms, hoping for food and even pick pockets! They don’t warm themselves in hot springs like our own monkeys do, but then it doesn’t get so cold and there are no hot springs!”

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She balanced another picture, “some more inhabitants on the other side of the Cape. These strange birds were all lying on the beach preening themselves, They looked very ungainly as they waddled about, frequently falling onto their bellies. I laughed so much I could hardly paint them. I was told they did not fly but swam! I did not believe this at first until I saw one dive in. I watched as it transformed from ungainly creature to elegance incarnate as it flew through the waves”

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She rummaged a bit more and came up with two more bottles of wine (oops) and one more picture, this time of a flower, the like of which she had never seen before this one. “A King Protea, just one type of a large number of Proteas that grow in the region, others have flowers like pincushions full of pins!”

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Furiey looked at the growing pile of pictures, bottles of wine and heaps of paper wrapping, then thought of the yet unopened bags. She was beginning to realise why she never seemed to have enough time, and how she had accumulated so much baggage!

Cyc

Nov 15, 2004, 10:48 AM

"Ah, the Cape of Good Hope. Now there's a name that will rustle up some good tourism. You know I've always wanted to go there, simply because no one ever spoke of it. Very nice work. Especially on the colors in the water.

"And here's one of my ancestors, according to Darwin's latest work. His Theory of Evolution and Natural Selection process have lead some to think that Origin of Species leaned Natural Science away from it's respectable position as investigator of God's creation. Most people can't understand the concept of Natural Selection, as they aren't aware of who the selector is. They can't seem to put it together with Survival of the Fittest. But the way you've described these baboons, they sound pretty human-like to me", he said with a smile.

"Yes, excellent work. These are penguins, are they not?" Cyc laughed. "This reminds me of the Awards Ceremony down at the club, with all the gentlemen in their tuxedos. They do quite a bit of waddling and falling down, too. And I do believe this flower is my favorite so far. I wish I had your talent, Lady Furiey."

Furiey was collecting the white tissue paper that had accumalated and tried to gracefully stash or stack them. As the wine started to kick in, this became more of an event than anything else, so tossing her hair back, she smiled at Cyc, "Mountains of paper! Reminds me of my trek through Zululand..."

"Leave it," he replied "Why don't I rustle up some dinner and we can continue this while satisfying the appetite we've worked up? Nice wine, by the way."

Furiey

Nov 15, 2004, 05:00 PM

Furiey gratefully accepted Cyc’s offer of a meal, and as he left to make the arrangements she looked back at the mountains of paper she had created. She was relieved that he had said to leave it – her failed attempts at tidying up were becoming an embarrassment, she was losing the battle to a load of tissue paper! Oh well, if she couldn’t win…

Furiey dived back into her luggage in search of more pictures and along with the next batch turned up yet more wine and of course even more tissue paper. She tried to ignore the paper as it drifted around the room, and stacked the pictures in any free spot she could find. Might as well just get them all out she thought as she found a place for the final one from this set of cases. There was a bit of a mixture in this lot, some more animals, birds, even a giant millipede.

She cleared some paper off the chair where Cyc had been sitting and stuffed it back into the now empty case. Ready now for Cyc’s return, she looked round at the pictures and lined up the wine bottles along the table – at least there was a good choice for the meal!

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http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/DG5_DVC00069a.jpg http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/DG5_DVC00079a.jpg
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Cyc

Nov 16, 2004, 04:46 AM

The Mayor returns and finds even more white paper around the paintings. He picks up his walking stick and cap and moves slowly towards Furiey. In a wine inspired comic relief, he begins, "Cyc makes his way across the snow-capped mountains of Southern Zululand, when he peers across the mahagony gorge and spots Lady Furiey." Raising his hand over his eyes, "He must break through and make his way there to save her. She appears to be trapped in a ... yes, a vineyard..."

Furiey gives a slight giggle, "Stop Cyc. Come look at this painting I set up for you."

Cyc straightens up and takes a seat on the sofa. With a quick apology, he starts to inspect the new batch of art. "Hmm. A gazelle, hippos - very nice - you put one hippo in front of the other and still show two distinct animals. That's good painting... Water Buffaloes, how did you manage to get so close? A falcon, or hawk perhaps. Elephants! You must let me purchase this one and the flower from you. What a captivating picture. You've shown so many elements in this one."

"I will not let you spend any gold for a painting, Cyc" Furiey returned.

"Nonsense. Work this good demands monetary compensation. Just tell me what you want. Oh, and look, a worm. Hey, this robin is a fantastic piece. It appears to be watching you paint. And you captured it's nest so well and so effortlessly. Amazing."

"Well, thank you Cyc. You're too kind. But that's not a worm, it's a millipede."

Cyc tore his gaze from Furiey once again and lifted the worm picture up to re-examine it. "Not a worm? Here I was thinking you did an excellent job painting worms. I was going to hire you to paint the politicians portraits down at City Hall. :D

"Oh well, regardless, I have asked Handley to prepare some exsquisite cordon bleu nested on some of his golden pasta. You'll love it. You might want to start picking out the wine you want to have with it. After that, if you up for it, we can take the carriage down to the newly constructed Great Wonder Magellan's Voyage. We should still have plenty of daylight being so close to the equator and all. I'm especially proud of this Wonder," Cyc said as he reached for a framed certificate, "As I've recieved notification from the World Council that Zojoji is now the third best city on the planet!" He hands the frame to Furiey.

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Furiey

Nov 16, 2004, 05:37 PM

Furiey took the certificate; “Congratulations Mayor Cyc, the third greatest city in the World, only our own capitol Fanatikku and the Astec capitol Tenochtitian are greater. Zojoji is the greatest non capitol city in the world and no city has more Wonders! We shall definitely have to visit Magellan’s Voyage after dinner, perhaps we could have another go at photography so you could have two photographs to hang above your fireplace”

She handed the frame back to Cyc, who tried to find a spot to put it. Furiey moved a couple of her pictures, stacking them together to clear a gap on the mantle. She really had not intended to take over the room as she had, the pictures took up enough space, but add the tissue paper and it was ridiculous. One of the pictures she moved was her “worm”, the legs really were not visible unless you knew they were there. Her style was definitely not suited to fine detail, so if she ever did paint the politicians’ portraits, they wouldn’t have to change the portrait if a new politician was elected – nobody would be able to tell the difference!

“Right, now for the Wine” she said turning to important matters. “The wines I have here tend to be Dry and White or Heavy and Red as that’s what I like best”. She grinned and moved two bottles out of the row. “I do have a few that are not so dry or not so heavy” she sorted through the remaining bottles and pulled out another white and another red, selecting wines that she thought were the best examples of their type. “I’ve tried them all (yes it was hard work but somebody had to do it) and I like all these here, so I’ll leave the final choice of which to you, although maybe the heavy red would be too much with pasta. I do have a few bottles of fizzy wine, but they’re in one of the other cases and would definitely need cooling, but if you feel like fighting with more cases and more tissue paper…”

Cyc

Nov 17, 2004, 01:12 PM

"Decisons, decisions. Personally, although a lot of people feel it's at the lower end of the "wine scale", I prefer a white Zinfandel. I like a sweet wine that's not too over-powering. I feel dry and very dry are terms that should be reserved for humor. ;) But I really enjoy a good cabernet sauvignon too. So we'll try this not so heavy red and I'll inform Handley, so he can adjust his sauce. He does veal, I hope that's ok with you."

That done, they left the first batch of pictures where they lay and moved to the large round table with the unopened cases. There the dialouge continued with a wide range of subjects. Both wanting to learn about the other, yet wanting to share much about themselves. As they finished their salad plates, it was noted that Handley was taking his time with main meal, which was fine by them. More food would have only slowed the conversation. As predicted, the meal was well worth the wait, enjoyed in a relaxed atmosphere, with even a few more pictures shown. The whole affair had resembled a renaissance of color and passion, kind of an arts and crafts festival of the soul. This had truly turned into a good day for Cyc.

Furiey

Nov 17, 2004, 04:18 PM

Regrettably, the meal finally drew to a close. The conversation had flowed, as had the wine. The red had turned out to be an excellent choice, full of flavour, but not overpowering for the fantastic food. They had eaten their fill. They adjourned from the table and moved outside to a terrace overlooking Zojoji’s gardens for a cup of tea to finish the meal, sitting relaxing as the afternoon cooled towards early evening. The birds were singing around them and the scent from the gardens hung heavily in the air. Time had flown. Furiey shuffled in her seat, hmmm perhaps there was still time, she had become lost in the beauty around her, the conversation (and the wine) and had forgotten that they were intending to visit the newly built Wonder.

“Cyc?” she asked “is Magellan’s Voyage far? Do we still have time before it gets too dark for a visit?

Cyc looked at her, he too had for a while been lost in the moment. “Not if we take a carriage” he finally said and hurried off to arrange one.

Furiey spied the case she was looking for, opened it carefully to avoid any packing escaping and took out a smallish box and a roll of canvas; perhaps she could paint the Wonder for Cyc! On second thoughts, she rifled through the case again and came up with another bottle of the red they had been drinking. She rolled the canvas around the bottle to stop it being squashed flat and waited for Cyc to return.

A Carriage arrived and the Mayor waved to her from inside, beckoning her over. He assisted her in and they set off at what seemed like a breakneck speed through the winding streets of Zojoji.

The new Wonder was situated in another of the city’s parks, on the shores of a lake. She was a bit surprised by this as she thought it might have been by the ocean, but perhaps that was just too exposed to the ravages of the winds and tides. When she first heard about it she had thought that “model of the ship” meant that it would be small, but it was huge, nearly full size in fact! She wasn’t quite sure what some of the other items in the Wonder were meant to represent though.

With Cyc watching she sat down on a nearby bench, spread her canvas in front of her and prepared her paints. She passed the bottle to Cyc to open. He had noticed the box and canvas that she had been trying to carry hidden in her clothing, but refrained from mentioning it as she was obviously trying to keep it quiet. He wondered how long it would take though as the day was drawing to a close and the light would soon fail. He needn’t have worried. Before his eyes the paint started to fly. It appeared on the canvas (and sometimes on Furiey), applied by knife, brush and even occasionally fingers. He watched, bottle forgotten in his hand, as the picture built, and quicker than he thought possible he saw the final detail being added. She held the still wet canvas up “Here you are Cyc – something to remember the day by”

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Cyc

Nov 18, 2004, 04:37 PM

Cyc smiled. "Like I would ever need something to jog my memory of this day or you. Thank you very much." He was actually in awe of Furiey's talent. Not since Paris had he witnessed the speedy creation of one's expression of a scene. "This is amazing - I shall hang it proudly in the foyer. Let's put these things in the carriage and take the special "Mayor's Tour", eh." During the tour, it was explained that the reasoning for the extra items Furiey had wondered about was two-fold. First the designer of the project wanted to give the children visiting the Wonder something to play on. This was also a reflection that Magellan's Theory was child's play, itself. Secondly, the choice of equipment showed that one could wind up in one direction while having started off in another (the yellow tube) and that the world was round and you could go round and round with it (the merry-go-round).

After the tour, the two walked back to the carriage. Once they were comfortably inside, Cyc said "You know, I've been thinking. With your knowledge and talent, you would make a great addition to the teaching staff at the University. Perhaps I can convince Tim, the President of the U of Z, to bring you onboard." Furiey put her hand to her throat and looked at Cyc with a raised brow. Cyc continued "I have also had Handley prepare paperwork for you to aquire a nice house on the hill I'm sure you'll be happy with. Would you care to relocate to Zojoji and teach at the U of Z? We'd love to have you. But I don't want to rush you. We'll go back to my place and there you can decide whether to stay in one of the guest rooms or take possesion of the house on the hill, if that's what you so desire."

Furiey chuckled at that. "Don't want to rush me? Hehehe, let me think for a minute."

Smiling, Cyc replied "Take your time. Remember the words of Ferdinand Magellan - "Ship happens. Be prepared to take the risk."

Furiey

Nov 19, 2004, 04:17 PM

Furiey was embarrassed. She had never thought of her painting as anything other than something she enjoyed to capture her memories. In fact she rarely showed anyone her efforts and it was only the excitement of the visit to Zululand that had encouraged her to do so this time. That someone else would think it was worthwhile had not occurred to her as possible. Still, as she thought about it, she did enjoy painting, and if she could encourage even one other person to enjoy painting… Then there was the house on the hill, looking down on Zojoji and the sea. The more she though about it, the more excited she became. It was perfect.

She had made up her mind. She would stay.

Cyc

Nov 20, 2004, 09:46 AM

So there it was, the offer and the acceptance. An event that was sure to have lasting and promising waves of inspiration in it's wake, for years to come. Lady Furiey was to set sail for the academic world in the uncharted waters of Zojoji. Mayor Cyc would try to remain a beacon showing the treacherous rocks lying beneath the water's surface. It was Benajim Franklin who made the quip about hanging together or hanging separately. Cyc felt the need to help where he could.

As they again stood on the terrace admiring the gardens in sunset, the two discussed the days events over yet another glass of wine. "Another toast" said Cyc. "Again to the future. May you always find sure footing as you move down the path we have initiated today. The path that calls for unfaltering courage and patience, the full fund of wisdom, the acceptance of setbacks and compromise, and above all, faith." The toast was met and the conversation carried on into the late night. Furiey had her choice of the guest rooms and would stay there until her new home was ready to occupy.

Cyc, as promised, made a call to Professor Tim the next day. He was hoping the Art Department in the new wing still had the Chair open and made that recommendation to Tim as well as the Professorship for Furiey. Hopefully, all would go well. With Furiey set in motion organizing her new home, Cyc awaited a response from the University.

TimBentley

Nov 20, 2004, 11:43 AM

Tim had noticed that Furiey's temporary address was at Cyc's residence, so he decided to go there himself. With his letter to Furiey in hand, we knocked on the door. When Cyc answered the door, Tim asked, "Is Furiey here?"

Cyc called for Furiey. When Furiey arrived, Tim gave her the letter saying she had been hired. "Thank you, professor," Furiey said.

"You're welcome, professor," Tim replied, "I have some important work to do, so I shall be going. Goodbye."

Cyc

Nov 21, 2004, 02:12 PM

People of Zojoji. I have a couple of announcements to make. First, as you well know, our fine city is about to complete work on our Factory. This means jobs for many. Hooray! We will increase Zojoji's production by 50%, making our city the leader once again in shield production. But there will also be by-products caused by this Factory, one of which is pollution. And this brings me to our second announcement.

Today's technology in the Medical field has brought to life a new concept in Healthcare. Talked about for years, we now have the knowledge and ability to build Hospitals ( ;) in 2 turns anyway!). This medical centers will help keep our citizens healthy in many different areas. One of which is disease caused by pollution. These Hospitals also have a nice effect on our city, in that more people will flock to us, seeking medical care. Our city will increase in size much more than we've ever imagined. This will, in turn, cause more pollution but fear not! Our Science Department is on a roll, and should come up with MORE technology to counter this. ;)

I'd also like to inform you of the new addition to the University of Zojoji. No, I'm not talking about our beautiful new wing which will house the School of Creative Arts. I'm here to tell you that former President Furiey will Chair the Art Department there and also be our Artist in Residence. Professor Furiey will also be holding class there for students who are lucky enough to attend.

So we've had a very busy week. I hope everyone is enjoying our Great Wonders and all the other facilities here. If there's anything the Mayor's Office can do for you, be sure to let us know.

Cyc

Nov 23, 2004, 09:49 AM

The week had gone by with announcements, and meetings, appointments, …what have you. But Cyc seemed to be operating on a deeper, sub-level. He always seemed to be in thought about something.

*Don’t get to see much of Furiey these days. She’s been so pre-occupied with her new home. And then again, I suppose she gets tied up with her new job. There must be a lot to do there. The curriculum will need to be put together, as well as her class format. That sure was a nice painting she did for me.*

“Excuse me, Mayor Cyc. There’s a ribbon cutting ceremony at the new Factory in fifteen minutes.”

“Oh yes. Let’s go there and do that, then…” was the Mayor’s reply.

*Maybe it was good that both of them were so busy they had little time to share. Yes, best to keep up with normal activities. That allows for a little perspective. Keeps you ‘on keel’, so to speak. Heh. I wonder if we had a little bit too much wine the other night.*

“Ok, Mayor Cyc. Go ahead and cut the ribbon,” came another faceless voice.

“Hmm? Oh yes”, and with a big smile cut the big blue ribbon with the big scissors.

* Another blue ribbon, or cordon bleu in French. Now that was a great meal… the smiling eyes, the witty conversation that never got too heavy, the food, the wine. Capped off with a nice quiet sitting on the terrace. So well done. I would like to have another one of those again, sometime.*

“Ground breaking ceremony for the new Hospital in fifteen minutes, Mayor Cyc.”

“Oh yes. Let’s go there and do that, then…” was the Mayor’s reply.

* I wonder which time Furiey enjoyed more. The evening at Copernicus’s gazing at the stars or jellin’ with Magellan… I wonder which one I enjoyed more. Hmm, there’s food for thought.*

The Mayor threw the shovel full of dirt to the right and plunged the shovel back into the ground for another load. He threw that one on the first and went back for third.

*I guess I’m leaning more towards the Observatory. After all, that was our first date. And it was such a good exploratory venture for ourselves, never mind the Galaxy.*

It was then the Mayor’s Press Secretary whispered, “Psst, Mayor Cyc. You really only need one shovel of dirt..”

“Hmm? Oh yes” Cyc came out of his daydream. He looked at the questioning crowd and said “I guess I’m really piling it on this time…:D”

Later, at the press conference, people were again taking Cyc’s picture. Flashes going off all around as he answered questions about this and that.

*And we had that moonlight picture taken. That was a treat. Too bad we didn’t show up in it. And Magellan’s wasn’t really a date. It just happened. It wasn’t pre-arranged. So I guess our next outing will actually be the ‘second date’. *

The Press Secretary leaned in slightly and politely said, “The question is ‘How do you feel about that issue’, Mayor Cyc”.

Caught off guard again, Cyc looked at the crowd of reporters and smiled. “I guess I’m going to have to look at the numbers again and review policy”, he looked into the eyes of the Press Secretary, darting from one eye to the other looking for help as to what issue they were discussing. But, of course her eyes were vacant of information, as usual. The Mayor decided to punt. “But what really matters is the Will of the People. It’s their voice that really matters. Yes, maybe it’s time for a poll.”

A young voice from the crowd yelled out, “Yeah, the Will of the People! Alright Mayor!” And then the crowd erupted into applause.

Pleased, Cyc put his hands up. “Thank you, and that brings to a close this press conference. I need to go see a man about a horse.” Realizing what he had just said, Cyc immediately came back with a smile, “Seriously. I’m off to go somewhere and I haven’t yet acquired one of those steam-powered automobiles and I’m darn sure not going to walk there. A horse it is, then.”

Furiey

Nov 25, 2004, 05:27 PM

Furiey sat in front of her canvas. Things were not going too well. She her brought her students (some of them already excellent artists in the traditional style) here to the gardens by the university, to hopefully get them to relax and hence find it easier to put brush to canvas much more freely. After persevering for a while she had decided to demonstrate. She had thought that the university itself would give them something to start on, but it was not proving easy, they were far too precise with the paint, they would not relax and go with the flow. Perhaps she should bring some wine next time, they might relax then - whatever would they have made of the state she was in when she painted Magellan’s Voyage for Mayor Cyc!

Now that was an evening to remember (and she did despite the quantities of wine she had consumed). They had perhaps sampled too much of the wine she had brought back, but it certainly encouraged a more free painting style! It had been a very good evening, an excellent end to the impromptu visit. Sadly, they had barely spoken since. She had been setting up home and trying to get this course off the ground, and Cyc had been digging up the ground by all accounts – ceremonially starting the foundations for the Factory and Hospital that had just been completed in Zojoji. She had heard that he had given a rousing speech about the “Will of the People”. It would be the opening ceremonies for the new buildings next she supposed. She sighed. She thought back to that day, and the visit to Copernicus’s Observatory a lot, never sure which one she had enjoyed more, but she did love the stars… “I really must talk to Cyc again” she thought “perhaps….”

Furiey’s reverie was broken by the sound of polite coughing and clearing of throats around her, then she heard her name…. Ah yes, (she tried not to blush, probably failing dismally) she was going to demonstrate. Her brush flew into life. “The key is to relax and go with the flow”, she said as she laid down the background, “and the detail comes last” she finished as they final touches went on. She stepped back from the canvas and looked round at her students hoping their expressions would show that they now understood. Their expressions had changed all right; they looked more confused than ever. She looked back at the picture. Oops, no wonder, she had been in more of a trance than she realised, she had painted the library, not the university as she said she would. Trying not to sound too flustered she explained as if had been the plan all along “yes that’s the library, I’ll leave the university to you”. They didn’t look that convinced, but as they picked up their brushes again, some of them in their amusement had relaxed and were beginning to paint more freely. It was worth it then.

CivGeneral

Nov 28, 2004, 01:47 AM

After winning the Governorship of Edo, CivGeneral has decided to pay a visit to his freinds in Zojoji. Namely Furiey and Cyc. Thanks to the invention of the Railroad and the Steam Engine. CivGeneral can now commute between Shoryin-Ryu and Zojoji aboard RailJade's Famous engine, the Big Boy.

"I surely hope Cyc and Furiey would remember me when I arive" I said to myself. "I know I have good news to tell them".

CivGeneral sent a message just before his departure from Edo's Capital in Shorin-Ryu to Cyc.

Dear Mayor Cyc,
I am expected to stop by for a visit to Zojoji to visit you and Furiey. I have been busy with courting this girl I've met and operating a railroad company. Ill be expecting to arive in Zojoji soon in my company's train "The Big Boy".

Hope to see you soon,
Governer General CivGeneral

Cyc

Nov 28, 2004, 02:35 AM

The Mayor shook off his responsibilities and transformed once again into Cyc. He rode high in the saddle through the streets of his home town. Tucked safely away in his saddlebag was a box of fine chocolates he had just purchased from the Zojoji Chocolat Shoppe. Strapped underneath that saddle bag's flap was a bouquet of roses. Hopefully, those roses would be the first to adorn Furiey's new home.

The ride to Furiey's place was a pleasant one. Cyc had always liked this house. The view of the bay and the city were impressive from here, the landscaping and architecture gave one a good feeling as you came up the long driveway. All of this seemed to calm Cyc somewhat as he was still a little nervous about asking Furiey for a second date. His respect for her opinions and wishes dominated his choice of words in this matter. Hopefully, he would remember how to speak Japanatican when he arrived at the front door.

Now, here he was at that very door, double doors actually, each with intrique engravings in the wood that enhanced a large metal knocker. Made in the shape of a bunch of grapes, each knocker was artfully crafted and the age of the metal had tinged slightly to more or less give the grapes color. Rapping one forcefully, he was impressed with it's deep sound thinking they were appropriate for the house. Slowly, the door opened showing Furiey as content as ever. Her expression changed to a large smile as she welcomed Cyc to her home.

"Cyc! What a pleasant suprise. You are the first 'Official Visitor' to my abode."

"Thank you, Furiey. I was just admiring your glorious knockers. Quite impressive," Cyc said with a nod, "It is so good to be here."

Furiey brought her visitor in and proudly showed her entrance way as she took his coat. Cyc was pleased to see the nice work she had done with it. He turned to see what was around the corner and walked straight into the new addition to the wall that extended out about a foot. Fearing he had bloodied his nose, he brought out his hankerchief.

"Oh, my God, Cyc. Are you alright?" said Furiey feigning attention to his new wound. "Please watch where you're going, I haven't even given you a glass of wine yet." A short round of chuckling ensued.

"Here, these are for you, Sunshine." Cyc handed the roses and chocolates to Furiey, who thanked him graciously and went to get a vase for the flowers. Cyc continued to inspect the house as he drifted towards the sitting room.

The roses cut and placed in the beautiful vase now on the coffee table, the couple engaged in their usual, relaxed bouts of friendly conversation. Each telling about the days since they had seen each other last.

Finally, at the first break in the conversation, "Well, now" Furiey spoke first. "As my first 'Official Visitor' you must stay for dinner".

"Ah, I would love to, m'Lady. But I have come here with expressly one goal in mind, and then I must be off. Please, do not think this a reflection on your hospitality. I would find it very easy to stay here until the cows come home, although I'm not real sure what time that is..." Cyc stood and cleared his throat. "I have come here to request your company at this week's showing of Macbeth at the Kabuki-Za. The day and showing will be your choice, of course, but I hear they're all good. Please, say you'll come."

Furiey

Nov 28, 2004, 03:01 PM

Furiey was surprised, and very happily relieved. Cyc had obviously been building up to say something ever since he had been here, and she had worried that he had heard about the troubles she had had with the art classes and had decided she wasn’t suited for the task. She was so relieved that that wasn’t it, but more than that, was thrilled at the prospect of Cyc’s company to see Stuck as a Mac’s (and his Interns) performance of Macbeth, which was renowned across Japanatica.

“I would be honoured Cyc” she answered with a grin “to accept your invitation”. Cyc grinned back. “SaaM’s performances are famous and I would be delighted to accompany you. As to which performance, well I suppose that’ll depend on when we can get tickets, but I don’t have specific plans apart from the University business during the day this week. Perhaps afterwards we could have a meal and maybe, just maybe, some wine?”

Cyc

Nov 28, 2004, 05:11 PM

Cyc sat in his office, looking out the window. His visit to see Furiey had been a success. They had a date this Friday and it should be a good one, conidering the new developments -

Knock, knock! "Mayor Cyc, this message has just come for you."

Dear Mayor Cyc,
I am expected to stop by for a visit to Zojoji to visit you and Furiey.
I have been busy with courting this girl I've met and operating a railroad
company. Ill be expecting to arive in Zojoji soon in my company's train
"The Big Boy".

Hope to see you soon,
Governer General CivGeneral
"Well good. Another new and welcome development. CG got his long-awaited rail line up and running. I must go down to the station to greet him." The Mayor finished up what little work he had on his desk and instructed his secretary to clear his afternoon schedule (it was empty anyway, he just liked to say that ;) ).

He arrived at the train station just as the "Big Boy" was pulling in. Cyc went to what looked like the Executive Car towards the end of the train. There he saw the new Governor of Edo disembark. "Welcome CG. Good to see you. How have you been?"

"Good Cyc. The elections kind of wore me down, so I decided to take a quick break and come see some old friends" said Governor CivGeneral, hand extended.

Cyc engaged the handshake with an animated "suprised" look. "Hey, who you callin' old, geezer?" This was a good start to the reunion, both men laughing and remembering days gone by. "What an amazing machine you have here, CG. This "Big Boy" is a fine example of modern technology. Have you made any plans? Are you by yourself? Either way, I insist that you come to watch Macbeth tomorrow night. Furiey and I are going and I can reserve a balcony booth for you and a guest. Come, we can talk more on the way to the Mayor's Mansion." Cyc instructed his drive to load the Governor's luggage on the carriage and off they went.

Cyc

Nov 29, 2004, 01:34 AM

After the comment Cyc had made about the horse during the last Press Conference, he was approached by a foreign gentleman who proceded to tell the Mayor about a wonderful new advance in the transportation world. The Internal Combustion Engine had been developed and was now replacing steam-powered automobiles and electric cars. In fact, for his employer - The Ford Motor Company, the Model T had just replaced the Model N as the front runner in sales. Anyway, to make a long story short, this salesman was authorized to front the city of Zojoji a gasoline-powered Model T, as Zojoji stood out as a World Class City. It was felt this would be good advertising. "Normally," claimed the salesman "this four-cylinder, twenty-horsepower, hand-cranked vehicle would run you about 825 gold."

Cyc, or rather Zojoji, was now the proud owner of Japanatica's first automobile. While taking a few test-drives around the city compound, the Mayor noticed that the vehicle belched and backfired occaisionally, but at low speeds it was quite fun. In fact, it would make for great transportation for Furiey and himself when they attended Macbeth later that week.

~~~ Later That Week ~~~

It was the day of days. Cyc tooled through the streets of Zojoji on his way up to Furiey's place. Having practiced his driving for a couple of days, he had become quite good (at least in his opinion :eek: ). He noticed how much more delightful it was climbing the hill to Furiey's in a car rather than on a horse. "These things could catch on," he thought. Arriving at Furiey's he once again placed his hand on one of her beautiful knockers to announce his presence.Opening the door, Furiey found Cyc in leather driving accessories and goggles to boot.

"Cyc, hello. What on earth do you have in mind for this evening,"she said looking past him at the Model T. "I thought we were going to the Theatre."

"And we are," was the reply. "But we'll be taking this new mode of transportation to the Kabuki-Za. It's really quite fun. I promise I'll keep it at relatively low speeds." He went on to assure Furiey it was safe and told her of all the practicing he had done. "Why yesterday I had the jalopy up to 30 miles per hour. Talk about exciting, I nearly crapped my britches. The car has a large emblem on the front grille with an FMC on it. I think they should change it to JFC. :D Come, it will be fun"

With more assurances and a little coaxing, Furiey agreed and Cyc helped her into the vehicle. Off they went, driving towards the theatre safely through Zojoji streets. Arriving, they parked right out front, where the Mayor's Office had a constable stand guard over it until they were to return.

Furiey

Nov 29, 2004, 02:48 PM

Inside the theatre, Furiey and Cyc met up with CivGeneral. "Glad you could make it, CG. It should be an excellent performance." CivGeneral greeted Furiey and they fell into a flurry of small talk. Cyc noticed the time, "CG, I'll have an usher show you to your balcony, which is located next to ours."

"When shall we three meet again?" asked CG.

"Well there's no thunder, lightning or rain forecast" Furiey grinned, "so we'll have to think of something else"

"We shall speak further, perhaps in between acts," Cyc said as the Governor was leaving. Turning to Furiey he smiled, "He is our Chief Guest. CivGeneral could be the life of the party tonight after the show."

Furiey had finally regained her legs after the harrowing ride into town. It had been her first time in an automobile and she really wasn't sure that that was how they were meant to be driven. But Cyc had certainly enjoyed himself - at least that's what she guessed the manic grin that spread across his face throughout the journey meant. And now they were here, her first visit to the Theatre. Coming back to the present she grinned at Cyc - "What is't you say? The life?" Caught up in the glamour of the Kabuki-Za Theatre, Furiey was trying to take in as much as possible. The richness of the costumes and scenery had suprised her.

Cyc was thrilled to have her on his arm and hoped the night would be fruitful. If it find heaven, must find it out tonight. ;) "Let us find our way up, shall we?"

Seated in the luxury of the Mayor's Balcony (of all the side balconies, it was the best in the house, never given out to anyone but the Mayor), their every need was satisfied by the ushers. Food, wine, whatever. The play began, and as expected, was marvelous.

Yet do I fear thy nature.
It is too full o' th' milk of human kindness
To catch the nearest way. Thou wouldst be great;
Art not without ambition, but without
The illness should attend it."Stuck plays this part so well. His interns are doing a fine job as well," Cyc spoke to Furiey softly. "Can I refill your goblet? The wine of life is drawn and the mere lees is left this vault to brag of. It's sweetness compares not to you, nor does it quench my thirst as well."

Furiey shifted in her seat and blushed (good job it was dark in the audience), "Had I three ears, I'd hear thee. Let's watch the play" she said holding out her goblet for that refill.

The language of the play was initailly strange, but quickly became enthralling. The rhythmn of the words as they were spoken drew the audience in, and all too soon, with the line
False face must hide what the false heart doth know.Act One drew to a close.

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Nov 29, 2004, 03:47 PM

Meanwhile, backstage
SaaM was furious. One of the damn interns dropped character when a bit of blocking went awry. Having tracked down the wayward interns, SaaM grabbed him by the stockings and had started shouting at him
"YOU NEVER DROP CHARACTER! EVER! I DON'T CARE WHAT HAPPENS!"
"But.. but.. the blocking" the poor little intern replied
"I DON'T GIVE A CRAP!" bellowed a furious SaaM. "Now look at what youve done. My makeup is all blotched up! Get a make up artist in here stat!"
As if they were expecting his.. or her.. no, his call, the make up artists came and reapplyed the make up, the wig and removed the dandruff from SaaMs dress.
"I'm Lady Macbeth, you scélérats! Not some Queen on the Boardwalk." yelled SaaM as extra collogen was applied to his lips.
"WHERE IS X?" screamed SaaM in a hissy fit. "That shmuck is the only one will all the lighting cues written down because SOME PEOPLE dont pay attention during rehersal!"
But, X was no where to be found. No one had the spine to tell SaaM that X had fled to Yatta for some unknown reasons (Curious about the saga of X? Head over to the City of Yatta thread for more details)
But there was no time for that. The warning light was flashing.
"Second half!" called SaaM. How do you split a 5 act play in half? Ehh... leave that to the author of this version of the book "SHOWTIME!"

an: dedicated to my director and certain actresses who will remain nameless, who i have had the misfortune of working with. well, theres some of me in there too... like the caps yelling and the swearing in other languages (though my prefered is German)

Furiey

Nov 30, 2004, 06:08 PM

Furiey loved it, witches, prophesies, assassination… Stuck_As_a_Mac had played his part well, Lady Macbeth had all the best lines and she couldn’t wait to see how it continued. But wait she must, for the moment at least. Furiey and Cyc met CivGeneral out in the hall and began discussing the play. On the wall opposite the Mayor's balcony was a huge observation window that gave not only a great view of Downtown Zojoji, but the night sky. They lowered the lights to enable a better view, and were treated to a secondary show as they continued their discussion during the brief intermission between Acts. The lights in the audience began to dim again, and as they made their way back to their seats, a new figure appeared in the hallway interrupting the end of their conversation. It was Guido, son of a legendary local hero, Captain of the Guard and head of Security for Zojoji in its entirety. He was accompanied by Governor CivGeneral's head of Security.

Furiey returned to the balcony, leaving Guido to inform the Mayor of trouble lurking in the wings. "I don't want to alarm you, but during the First Act, some of my men spotted the infamous Bozo Brothers chatting in the lobby. Unfortunately, they were able to slip away."

The Bozo Brothers were a newly established pair of thugs from a distant community. Cyc had beaten them in a game of chance on one of his probably ill advised (but very profitable) visits to the Kagemusha Casino and they lost a mountain of opportunity from only a pittance of investment. In retaliation, their threats had gone from wild to bizarre, and the local guard felt they were up to acts of terror and revenge. Guido continued, "As I said, I don't want to alarm you, but I feel there's murder in the air."

"Assassination is a bit much, don't you think Guido? Well, our primary concerns are Lady Furiey and Governor CivGeneral. Bring in extra details to cover the rest of the evening and our journey back to the Mansion", said Cyc as he saw the Governor's Head of Security emerge from CG's balcony. Good, CG was also now informed of the situation.

Cyc returned to his seat and informed Furiey of the trouble. She insisted on the details and made a few suggestions to tighten security. The play restarted, and continued through the second, third and into the fourth Act. All seemed well, although the plot with its tale of murder and treason heightened the tension caused by Guido's news, but as on stage Macduff was informed of the savage murder of his wife and children, a commotion broke out below. It was quickly quelled and the Act concluded without further interruption

Foul whisperings are abroad indeed thought Furiey as during the brief intermission following, Guido approached the Mayor.

"Saw you the weird brothers?" asked Cyc.

"No, Mayor" Guido replied.

"Come they not by you?" Cyc probed again.

"No indeed, Mayor Cyc. But there was an incident in the lobby you should be aware of. It seems my men watched the Brothers leave, yet detected an accomplice. Yes Mayor, there were three murderers. But as the Brothers left, the third tried to charge his way upstairs and in the struggle, his pistol went off muffled by his heavy coat. I'm afraid he was close to death as they took him away."

Furiey listened carefully. Three murderers! Just like murdered Banquo in the play she thought. Good job these had not succeeded and one of them was now dead and not their intended victim. She glanced at the Mayor. Or was she just getting caught up in the play and reading too much into all of this.

"Good work, Guido. Startling news.” Cyc commended his head of Security. “Concentrate on catching the Brothers and let the accomplice heal himself." He paused, thought for a moment, then added "Please send a message to Stuck_As_a_Mac requesting his presence in my balcony as soon as convenient."

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Nov 30, 2004, 06:48 PM

SaaM was, as he is normally after a show, a wee bit tipsy. This time, though, he was tipsy and in a dress when Cyc's messenger arrived.
"Whaaaat is it?" he gurgled as he danced in place, his wig askew.
"The mayor requests your presence immediatly. Three people have been murdered." replied the messenger.
"But IIiiiim not a dephlective" said SaaM "I'm just an actor/dancer/singer/evil mastermind..." With this, he laughed to himself, murmuring "silly robots... tricks are for kids..."
Realizing that he would not get anywhere SaaM to agree to anything in this state, the messenger just grabbed him by his dress and pulled him up to the Mayors box. "C'mon now, laddie." the messenger reasoned in a fake Scottish brouge. "We're goin' to see the magic rabbi."
"Whee! I love the Magic Rabbi: said SaaM

an: no sense whatsoever. Just furthering the plot. Now, you all go further my plot in the Yatta thread.
I said go!

SaaM

Furiey

Dec 01, 2004, 05:28 PM

Stuck_As_a_Mac made a less than dramatic entrance as he smacked his shoulder against the doorframe on entering the Mayor’s balcony. “Sayor Mike… I mean, Mike Sayor. I mean…

“Welcome Stuck, that was an excellent performance out there. You should be proud of your entourage; we all thoroughly enjoyed the show. Nice dress” Cyc said as he lit a cigar.

“Really nice dress.” Added CivGeneral. “The wig’s not bad either…”

Stuck’s eyes wandered for a moment, “Hrmf, my make up must be a mess,” he said as he tried to adjust his wig. “Did you have to bring me in by way of this brown shirt? Tell him to let me go.”

Cyc had not intended Stuck to be dragged here, but looking at the state he was in it was probably the only way he would have made it. Cyc nodded at the messenger, who released his clutch of the back of Stuck’s dress. Stuck immediately fell to the floor, but just as quickly found his way to his feet, brushing off his dress. Seeing Furiey, he was all smiles, “Furiey! I didn’t nogus you siggin’ there…”

Furiey waved, revealing a snigger beneath her smiling eyes. Her grin spread as she took in Stuck’s appearance; the costume and make up that had seemed so appropriate on the stage, at close range seem over the top, add that to the smudged lipstick to give what could only be described as a pantomime dame effect. She turned to Cyc, “Yes it was a marvellous show. I’m so glad we came.”

The Mayor grimly returned Furiey’s look and her smile faded. “Yes, change of plans, I think.” he said, “Time to punt again.” Then to Stuck, “My good friend Stuck, I have a favour to ask of you. I’m putting together a project called the Artists Rehabilitation and Therapy Centre. An ARTS Centre if you will. It’s just a little place to help empower individuals with new coping skills. I was wondering if I could count on your help bringing this ARTS Centre about.”

“By all means, Mayor. I’m there for ya. Jez lemme know whatcha need, and you got it,” came the heartfelt reply.

“Fine, then. I’ll send a car around for you.”

“A car? I’ve never had a car before.” Stuck immediately broke into a dance routine playing an air guitar.

Baby you can drive my car
Yes I'm gonna be a star
Baby you can drive my car
And baby I love you

He held out his hand to Furiey, who accepted and started to dance a little jig of her own. Trying to keep a straight face (dancing was not one of Furiey’s best skills), Cyc went back to discussing security issues with CG. But it didn’t work; the seriousness of the moment was gone.

Stuck had switched to the air piano and a scruffy voice,

I told a girl that my prospects were good
And she said baby, it's understood
Working for peanuts is all very fine
But I can show you a better time

Furiey raised her hands above her head and with a shake joined in –

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

She reached out and grabbed CG as she twirled past, and pulled him laughing into the dance.

Cyc was feelin’ no pain, and couldn’t stop chuckling under his breath, “ Ok, I think we can wrap this evening up. Can someone please make sure Stuck gets home safely?” Too late the call for sanity, as he too got pulled into the dance, and everyone was be-bopin’ to Stuck, groovin’ with his movin’ and lettin’ the good times roll.

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Dec 01, 2004, 06:48 PM

That evening, Stuck crashed into two lamp poles, a tree and the Fark.com Squirrel

Just kidding. But now he had a car, and he could go seek out X. Or is that a story for the Yatta thread. Which really does need a bump.

And now he could wreak havoc on a university. Cool

Beep beep'm beep beep yeah!

Cyc

Dec 05, 2004, 11:11 AM

Ladies and Gentlemen of Zojoji, I am proud to announce that our great city has moved up to the number 2 position on the World's Greatest Cities List!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/top5zojo.jpg

Cyc

Dec 08, 2004, 01:24 AM

The Great City of Zojoji is proud to sponsor the revival of the Top Ten List. Yes, Ladies and Gentlemen, the Demogame Top Ten List is back. The cities on this list are the ones that score the highest in each of the five catagories chosen to represent worthy cities. The Catagories are pretty standard and are the ones normally used to determine winners.

Listed below are the Top Ten (or there abouts) cities in each Catagory. Catagories are: Shield Production, Commerce, Science, Population, and Culture. Check below to see how your city did this time around.

The Standings:

SHIELDS
1. Shorin-Ryu - 54 - 10 points (pts)
2. Zojoji - 45 - 9 pts
2. Fanatikku - 45 - 9 pts
3. Corrino - 40 - 8 pts
4. En'Gha - 39 - 7 pts
5. Regent Town - 37 - 6 pts
5. Odawara - 37 - 6 pts
6. Immo - 36 - 5 pts
7. Doomsville - 33 - 4 pts
8. Osgiliath - 30 - 3 pts
9. Epolenep - 24 - 2 pts
9. Salamanca - 24 - 2 pts

COMMERCE
1. Zojoji - 95 - 10 pts
2. Odawara - 93 - 9 pts
2. Fanatikku - 93 - 9 pts
3. Corrino - 86 - 8 pts
4. Immo - 81 - 7 pts
5. Shorin-Ryu - 72 - 6 pts
6. En'Gha - 68 - 5 pts
7. Doomsville - 66 - 4 pts
8. Sto'vo'kor - 60 - 3 pts
8. Osgiliath - 60 - 3 pts
9. Windhurst - 58 - 2 pts
10. Roma - 54 - 1 pt

SCIENCE
1. Corrino - 86 - 10 pts
2. Odawara - 84 - 9 pts
2. Zojoji - 84 - 9 pts
3. Fanatikku - 82 - 8 pts
4. Shorin-Ryu - 72 - 7 pts
4. Immo - 72 - 7 pts
5. En'Gha - 68 - 6 pts
6. Doomsville - 66 - 5 pts
7. Sto'vo'kor - 60 - 4 pts
7. Osgiliath - 60 - 4 pts
8. Windhurst - 58 - 3 pts
9. Roma - 54 - 2 pts

POPULATION
1. Fanatikku - 1.08m - 10 pts
2. Zojoji - 963k - 9 pts
3. Odawara - 954k - 8 pts
4. Shorin-Ryu - 944k - 7 pts
5. Immo - 939k - 6 pts
6. En'Gha - 938k - 5 pts
6. Corrino - 938k - 5 pts
6. Regent Town - 938k - 5 pts
7. Pete - 820k - 4 pts
7. Windhurst - 820k - 4 pts
7. Sto'vo'kor - 820k - 4 pts
7. Osgiliath - 820k - 4 pts
7. Doomsville - 820k - 4 pts
7. Roma - 820k - 4 pts

CULTURE
1. Zojoji - 2607 - 10 pts
2. Fanatikku - 2596 - 9 pts
3. Shorin-Ryu - 2290 - 8 pts
4. Odawara - 2285 - 7 pts
5. En'Gha - 1879 - 6 pts
6. Corrino - 1790 - 5 pts
7. Regent Town - 1737 - 4 pts
8. Immo - 1566 - 3 pts
9. Osgiliath - 1417 - 2 pts
10. Epolenep - 1391 - 1 pt

Cyc

Dec 08, 2004, 01:34 AM

The Top Ten Cities of Japanatica
1. Zojoji - 47
2. Fanatikku - 45
3. Odawara - 39
4. Shorin-Ryu - 38
5. Corrino - 36
6. En'Gha - 29
7. Immo - 28
8. Doomsville - 17
9. Osgiliath - 16
10. Regent Town - 15

Honorable Mention:
Sto'vo'kor - 11
Windhurst - 9
Roma - 7
Pete - 4
Epolenep - 3
Salamanca - 2

Cyc

Dec 10, 2004, 08:31 AM

Public Apology/Correction -

It was discovered that the numbers used in the standings above, and ultimately in the Top Ten List, were from the Turn 5 save. Apparently our statisticians (me) were not aware of and hadn't downloaded the Turn 10 save. This problem has been corrected.

We have gone through the current numbers and concluded that although the numbers show different cities gaining or losing a point or two, their placement in the Top Ten List didn't change. Therefore the final order of cities in The List above is correct and official.

Sorry for the inconvenience,

Mayor Cyc

Cyc

Dec 22, 2004, 11:28 PM

Zojoji got Coal for Christmas!

:mischief: we was a baad baaad boy....

But we'll get a new Wonder also. Albeit a Small Wonder. We can now construct the Iron Works!

Ashburnham

Dec 23, 2004, 03:36 AM

That is excellent news. I'll have my MoC minions get to work on Iron Works planning right away.

Rik Meleet

Dec 23, 2004, 11:49 AM

Coal for Zojoji. I suppose Santa thinks we can do even better.

Cyc

Dec 23, 2004, 05:22 PM

Coal for Zojoji. I suppose Santa thinks we can do even better.

Darn that Santa anyways... must have been that time I smacked him with a snowball...

But come to think of it, Zojoji is only the SECOND best city in the world. I guess we can try harder. ;)

Black_Hole

Dec 23, 2004, 06:33 PM

santa only excepts perfect cities, erherm i mean childeren

Provolution

Dec 23, 2004, 09:48 PM

Build iron works, once a resident of the Iron City, I know what it is all about, go for Iron works and make Zojoji City nr 1.

Cyc

Dec 23, 2004, 10:41 PM

Thank you, Minister Ashburnham. I look forward to seeing the people approve of our construction of the Iron Works Wonder. Black_Hole, if Santa is looking for perfect children, he has come to the right forums, even if we do differ in opinion. :) And thank you for the encouragement, Provolution.

We also have other great news to present....

Cyc

Dec 23, 2004, 10:51 PM

"Suffrage is the pivotal right."
-- Susan B. Anthony
________________________________________

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/unsuf.jpg

In Japanatica, the fifteenth-century discussion of the economic, social, and political rights of women was called the "Woman Question"; the movement for political enfranchisement was called the woman suffrage movement. The later suffrage movement used the term women's suffrage movement to describe its campaign for the vote.

The word "suffragist" was used internationally to describe the moderate or constitutional advocates of woman suffrage. After 1506, the word "suffragette" was used to describe the militants in Japanatica. The distinction between suffragist and suffragette was recognized internationallly during the years of discussion.
__________________________________________________ __________________

Evidence tends to make clear how slowly men as a whole retreated from the "divine right of men to rule over women" idea, and how slowly women rose to assume their equal right with men to rule over both. Long after men's reason convinced them that woman suffrage was right and inevitable the impulse to male supremacy persuaded them that the step would be "inexpedient." The lower types of men have always frankly resented any threatened infringement of the rights of the male and although the higher classes of male intelligence defined the feeling toward woman suffrage in other terms, at source the highest and lowest were actuated by the same traditional instinct.
__________________________________________________ __________________________

The young women of today, free to study, to speak, to write, to choose their occupation, should remember that every inch of this freedom was bought for them at a great price. It is for them to show their gratitude by helping onward the reforms of their own times, by spreading the light of freedom and of truth still wider. The debt that each generation owes to the past it must pay to the future.

--Abigail Scott Duniway, suffrage organizer the Kitakinu Province
__________________________________________________ __________________

The student trained to reach decisions in the light of logic and of history will be disposed to recognize that, in a democratic country, governed as this is by the suffrage of its citizens, and given over as this is to the principle and practice of educating women, a distinction based on difference of sex is artificial and illogical.

--Mary Whiton Calkins, professor at University of Zojoji and former student who was refused a Ph.D. from University of Zojoji even though she satisfied all the degree requirements
__________________________________________________ _____________________

Cautious, careful people, always casting about to preserve their reputation and social standing, never can bring about reform.

--Susan Brownell Anthony, 1540

Chieftess

Dec 24, 2004, 05:56 AM

Zojoji got Coal for Christmas!

:mischief: we was a baad baaad boy....

:lol: :lol:

I just noticed that... Atleast the coal came to one of our core cities, so we lucked out on that.

Sir Donald III

Dec 26, 2004, 10:42 PM

Mr. Mayor.

I congratulate you on your election to Culture Minister in the next term.

I now have a favor to ask of you.

As you know, Zarnia is currently without a Governor. (Yes, you can blame me for not being more 'aggressive' in keeping track of my Ministers.)

MOTH, Interim Governor of Itakaji, has suggested that you be Interim Governor of the Capital Province, which you designed by the way, for this last TC of the term.

While I have not yet contacted the Domestic Muinister regarding this, and I should probably do that next, I would like to know if you would be interested in this emergency item.

Thank you.

Outgoing President, Sir Donald III

Cyc

Dec 26, 2004, 10:49 PM

Yes, by all means, Mr. President. I would be more than happy to step up and step into the large shoes left by Governor Zarn. Thank you for considering me. And thank you to Governor MOTH for the original suggestion. I will await official appointment before posting Instructions.

Cyc

Jan 08, 2005, 01:44 PM

After a short vacation immediately following his time as replacement Governor, Mayor Cyc steps up to the podium atop the City Hall steps to address the press conference. He clears his throat.

"Citizens of Zojoji. It is a great honor, once again to adress you as Mayor of Zojoji. We have made amazing strides in our city's development over the course of our history. All the accomplishments that have gone before are complimented by the completion of the Iron Works Wonder in the Industrial section of town. We have also just been approved as the location of the United Nations Wonder. Construction will commence very soon and will be located downtown. Our shipyards are building Battleships for the Japanatican Naval Forces at an unprecedented rate, as well as other units when needed. Employment is high, Culture is flourishing, and our city will soon be the global center for peace, understanding, and good will. Thank you for coming, and have a wonderful day."

Cyc

Jan 08, 2005, 11:12 PM

It has come to the attention of the Mayors office that while examining the map using the GOTM Modpack, oysters are washing up on the beaches of our great city! We are officially calling them Zojoysters. Think of what this will do for the tourist trade! People of the world - let Zojoji be your oyster!

http://www.civfanatics.net/uploads8/zojoysters.jpg

EDIT: Post 7100

CivGeneral

Jan 08, 2005, 11:24 PM

Oh goodie, some pearls for my girl :D ;).

Ashburnham

Jan 12, 2005, 01:39 PM

Mayor Cyc, I was wondering if the city of Zojoji had any plans for a victory celebration if we do in fact win the vote of our peers in the UN. Certainly such a glorious event deserves a celebration, and Zojoji--the throne of Culture at which the rest of the world bows--seems the perfect place to have it. Perhaps we could start planning now?

Cyc

Jan 12, 2005, 05:29 PM

There are no plans at the moment, Judge Advocate Ashburnham, but it's a great idea. Let me roll some ideas around in my head for a while. If you have any, please post them here. The timing may be a little difficult or out of place if we don't win the vote on the first try. Your thoughts?

Ashburnham

Jan 13, 2005, 04:56 PM

I'm not really much of a party-planner, Mayor, but perhaps we could have a "ball" similar to the ones I've seen in the past?

Cyc

Jan 13, 2005, 06:27 PM

:) I'm not much of one either. I didn't even attend the Asphinxia Ball. :( Deals like that are kind of iffy. There was a wake that we held for Shaitan in the RPG of DG2 that lasted maybe 50 posts (can't remember), you kind find that on post 109 0f this page. (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=38773&page=6&pp=20) That was a pretty successful outing. But then we've had Victory parties like this one for the Victory of the Azteca War (where we captured the Great Library), found on post 172 of this page (http://forums.civfanatics.com/showthread.php?t=32562&page=9&pp=20), where no one came. The Bavarian Smokehouse spent 900 gold on that fiasco too. :rolleyes:

Maybe we can turn the Zojoji Kabuki-Za Theatre into a huge Beer Hall with live entertainment. Plenty of seating for everyone, lots of beer and wine (or whatever you fancy), and good music. The city could monitor the doors and security, so it could be open for 2 or 3 days at least. But when do we hold this global party?

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 13, 2005, 07:00 PM

SaaM, expert party planer at your service.

I can organize a large party for you in a weeks time, and it'll be simply faaabulous.

Well, whaddya say? Heres my card:

|------------------------- |
| SaaM |
| Party Planer to the odd |
| Note: Italicsy voice sold|
| separately |
|------------------------- |

And the first ASCI business card in a DG award goes to...
SaaM!

Cyc

Jan 13, 2005, 07:22 PM

Offer accepted, Stuck. Consider any of the City of Zojoji's facilities open to you. If you need anything let me know.

Mayor Cyc

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 14, 2005, 04:33 PM

Faaabulous
You did opt for the italics, right?

Now, is there any theme of sorts your going for? The "I'm A Diplomat But I Know How To Party" theme or the "We're Here, We're In Charge, Get Used to it" theme? Your choice, hun. Just call me when you decide and we'll get ready.

SaaM
who is not *THAT* gay. I'm only a wee bit of a fagalah (Yiddish term of endearment.. nothing wrong it it)

and is also Metro, not Gay. Theres a difference

Cyc

Jan 14, 2005, 05:13 PM

Cool. How about the best of both worlds, Stuck. I'm thinkin' a combo of the two - "I'm a Diplomat who knows how to party, so get used to it." :thumbsup:

Sure, throw the italics in with the rest. Spare no expense. The world only ends once, right? And stop worrying. I don't think anyone is Metrophobic around here.

CivGeneral

Jan 15, 2005, 01:12 AM

Im curious if the mayor is interested in a victory parade for our diplomacy victory this sunday :D.

Cyc

Jan 15, 2005, 01:26 AM

Hey CG. Well, the Victory celebrations have been assigned to Stuck_As_a_Mac. If there's going to be a parade, he would know. If you're interested in contributing to that idea, you might want to get in touch with Stuck. ;)

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 15, 2005, 01:06 PM

Ah.. a parade. Sounds like a Maaahrvelos idea. I do believe I'd have to consult with my design team on that one, but if Idina Menzel can come back to sing three notes of "Wicked" and get a 5 min standing O, we can pull this off in 24 hours.

Alright people! Chop chop! Get this route planed and have it end at the Grand Hall. From there make is to that the party takes place there.

Oh, Citizen or Government thread?

SaaM

CivGeneral

Jan 15, 2005, 01:28 PM

@Stuck,

Cyc told me to get in contact with you for the parade and I am wondering if I could lead the parade?

Thanks

Cyc

Jan 15, 2005, 02:15 PM

Stuck, let's throw the whole party in this thread. If it's going to be in Zojoji, it might as well be in the Zojoji thread. ;) The parade and following celebration/Victory Party can pretty much end this thread. Let's make sure it goes off without a hitch.

CG, I think it would be a great idea for you to lead the parade. What's a parade if we don't have our General in the first car? I hope you'll bring the "Big Boy" down and park it at Zojoji Station. It should be a good time.

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 15, 2005, 04:16 PM

CG can lead the parade. No problems there. He will ride in the first car, along with the President and Cyc. Following him will be the float honoring the UN. Then we will have floats honoring each nation that voted for us. Follwing them, the floats dishonoring each nation that voted against us. Then the Tolerance and Political Correctness floats. After that its pretty much up to the people. Does anyone have any plans for floats?

If not, I'm just throwing in a nice jazz float followed by a bunch of floats honoring cliches. It'll be swell.

SaaM

Ashburnham

Jan 15, 2005, 05:28 PM

I would like to humbly suggest this float design to commemorate our Victory through Diplomacy. It shows the world united as well as the peace this unity will bring for the future.

http://www.rotaryfloat.org/images/pastfloats/float19__.jpg

Cyc

Jan 15, 2005, 06:24 PM

Wow! Excellent float! This is definitely a contender for the "Best Float Award".

Good job Ashburnham :goodjob:

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 15, 2005, 06:45 PM

Excelent float. It will be a beautiful part of the parade.
I am also adding a float where we take the Jets kicker and procede to beat him for missing those two field goal attempts.
That float serves no purpose for anyone. It's just a float I want to see right now because he may have just blown the farkin' game...

Oh, other than that, would anyone else care to submit a float?

Cyc

Jan 15, 2005, 07:21 PM

Black_Hole

Jan 15, 2005, 07:46 PM

I would like to submit the "I Scream Float" in memory of the U.S. Presidential Elections held while this Demogame was active. :lol:

I will also try to design a float that will give Sir Ashburnham's "World Peace and Unity Float" a run for its money.
you dont want to it call "I rejoice"? ;)
also might the Chief Justice get a seat in the second or third car?

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 16, 2005, 10:16 AM

Ah, the "Yeaagh"ian float. I wanna pilot that one.
One question, though: will the float go to California? and Michigan? and South Dakatoa? and North Dakota? and then its gonna go take back the white house YEAAGH!!!!

(had to)
Parade will (hopefully) start at 1.

Chieftess

Jan 16, 2005, 11:39 AM

I would like to humbly suggest this float design to commemorate our Victory through Diplomacy. It shows the world united as well as the peace this unity will bring for the future.

Nice symbolism too.

Dark red = us.
Pink = French
Blue = America
Green = Aztecs

and all coming from the globe.

EDIT: Just noticed the orange... don't know what that would be for.

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 16, 2005, 11:56 AM

Well, the parade begins in 1 PEOPLE. LISTEN TO THE DIRECTIONS.
Okay, is everyone at the startng line? Good. Are we ready to have the marching bands play as we go? Good. Does Howard Dean have all the throat drops he needs should his voice crap out from the Yeaaghing. Excelent. Where are the dancing interns? I need them to get ready in chorus line form. You! Where is your Ed Koch mask? Where is the tribute to New York City Mayors and the "Liberal Oasis, Republican Controled" float?

Gaah!

Stuck_as_a_Mac

Jan 16, 2005, 12:01 PM

SaaM approaces the center of a street. There is no trafic on the street, but the sides are lined with excited people.
He begins to speak.
"Ladies and Gentlemen. Boys and Girls! Prepare yourself for one of the greatest of all Zojojian wonders, the Great Parade!"
He pulls a samuraii blade out from under his shirt. He turns, bows to a ribbon, and slices it in half.
Cheers erupt from the crowd. The parade has begun.

CUE THE CLOWN MUSIC!

Chieftess

Jan 16, 2005, 12:22 PM

Chieftess watches as the parade continues. In a few hours, she will return to Minami-ken for the opening cerimonies of the State Fair there. The State Fair will include the following events just so you know:

1 - Carnivals
2 - Autoracing
3 - Cooking Contests, including a 1680 foot diameter Cherry Pie. A world record! (1680 is the year in which we will win).
4 - The unvieling of the Minami-ken History and Heritage Musuem, featuring historical Iroquois, Roman, and Japanitican items and culture.
5 - The unvieling of a prototype machine that scientists have currently been working on, along with a "future of Japanitica" event that attempts to guess at how this technology will affect us in the future.

Afterwards, there will be fireworks. Civantoria will also host the Naval Fireworks Display.

Anyway, Minami-ken's contribution to the parade is the "Pride of Salamanca Auto". These showcases the latest in automobiles, tanks, and anything that runs on an engine. Since our province comes last in the list (by date founded), the tanks will kick off the end of the parade by shooting confetti from their turrets. Should be an impressive display. These packages of confetti will shoot hundreds of feet into the air, and will break open, causing confetti to "rain down". Some of these confetti will have a Japanitican flag on them. If you find one, you can come to the "Minami-ken booth" at one of the Provincial Centers in the Zojoji Plaza to claim a prize!